AI-supported Systemic Transition Intelligence for Adaptive Governance and Civil Service Innovation

Our proposed contribution focuses on developing an AI-supported systemic transition intelligence application that assists governments, civil servants, public sector innovators, strategic designers, applied researchers and transition leaders in navigating complex societal transformations.

The initiative directly addresses the Horizon Europe topic “Government in transition – how governments change the way they work and prepare the civil service for the future” by contributing to new governance paradigms and innovative approaches to public service and policy development.

The project aims to strengthen adaptive governance capacities by combining systems thinking, stakeholder engagement, anticipatory governance and AI-supported decision support. The proposed solution will provide dynamic and real-time insights into evolving governance and societal networks, identify drivers and barriers influencing systemic change, and support evidence-informed and collaborative policymaking processes.

The first phase focuses on mapping and simulating the evolution of real-world transformation networks without relying initially on digital tools. Through participatory and systemic co-design approaches, the project will generate deep insights into governance practices, inter-organisational collaboration, stakeholder dynamics and civil service capabilities across different European contexts. Particular attention will be given to resilience, democratic participation, information flows, innovation ecosystems and public trust.

The second phase translates these insights into the development of a scalable AI-supported digital platform. Through iterative lean prototyping cycles (build–measure–learn), the software will continuously evolve in alignment with practical governance needs and public sector realities. The platform will support governments and public administrations in strategic planning, innovation portfolio management, cross-sector collaboration and anticipatory policy development.

The project strongly integrates interdisciplinary expertise from systems transformation, public governance, strategic design, transition management, AI-supported innovation and participatory policymaking. It also contributes to strengthening civil service preparedness for future societal challenges by fostering adaptive, collaborative and future-oriented governance cultures across Europe.

Potential contributions to the consortium include:

• Systemic co-design methodologies

• Transition governance and network analysis

• Living labs and participatory experimentation

• AI-supported governance innovation

• Stakeholder engagement and collaborative learning

• Practice-oriented research and policy experimentation

• Development of adaptive governance frameworks

This contribution builds on extensive experience in European collaborative projects, systemic transition approaches, learning communities and cross-sector innovation ecosystems. It aligns strongly with the Horizon Europe ambitions for democratic resilience, innovative governance and future-ready public administrations.